Summary of Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jul. 01, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Accounting Policies	Note 1: Summary of Accounting Policies Principles of consolidation and presentation The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Snap-on Incorporated and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries (collectively, “Snap-on” or “the company”). These financial statements should be read in conjunction with, and have been prepared in conformity with, the accounting principles reflected in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Snap-on’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 (“2016 year end”). The company’s 2017 fiscal second quarter ended on July 1, 2017; the 2016 fiscal second quarter ended on July 2, 2016. Each of the company’s 2017 and 2016 fiscal first and second quarters contained 13 weeks of operating results. Snap-on accounts for investments in unconsolidated affiliates where Snap-on has a greater than 20% but less than 50% ownership interest under the equity method of accounting. Investments in unconsolidated affiliates of $17.4 million as of July 1, 2017, and $15.2 million as of December 31, 2016, are included in “Other assets” on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets; no equity investment dividends were received in any period presented. In the normal course of business, the company may purchase products or services from, or sell products and services to, unconsolidated affiliates. Purchases from unconsolidated affiliates were $2.7 million and $3.2 million in the respective fiscal second quarters of 2017 and 2016, and $5.7 million and $7.4 million in the respective first six months of 2017 and 2016. Sales to unconsolidated affiliates were $0.1 million and zero in the respective fiscal second quarters of 2017 and 2016, and $0.2 million and zero in the respective first six months of 2017 and 2016. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements do not include the accounts of the company’s independent franchisees. Snap-on’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for the fair presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the three and six month periods ended July 1, 2017, and July 2, 2016, have been made. Interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Financial Instruments The fair value of the company’s derivative financial instruments is generally determined using quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities. The carrying value of the company’s non-derivative financial instruments either approximates fair value, due to their short-term nature, or the amount disclosed for fair value is based upon a discounted cash flow analysis or quoted market values. See Note 9 for further information on financial instruments. New Accounting Standards In October 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740) – Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. The ASU eliminates the requirement to defer the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset has been sold to an outside party. Under the new guidance, an entity should recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual reporting period for which financial statements (interim or annual) have not been issued or made available for issuance (i.e., the first interim period if an entity issues interim financial statements). The amendments in this ASU are to be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings at the time of adoption. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), which adds and/or clarifies guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early adoption is permitted. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated statements of cash flows. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), to require the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable forecasts. The main objective of this ASU is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. ASU No. 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years; the ASU allows for early adoption as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2018. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) that, together with several subsequent updates, outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. Topic 606 is based on the principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Topic 606 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to fulfill a contract. Entities may early adopt Topic 606 only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Entities have the option of adopting this standard using either a full retrospective approach or a modified retrospective approach (i.e., through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings at the time of adoption). Snap-on commenced its assessment of Topic 606 during the second half of 2014 and developed a comprehensive project plan that included representatives from across the company’s business segments. The project plan included analyzing the standard’s impact on the company’s various revenue streams, comparing its historical accounting policies and practices to the requirements of the new standard, and identifying potential differences from applying the requirements of the new standard to its contracts. The company is in the process of identifying and implementing appropriate changes to its business processes, systems and controls to support revenue recognition and disclosures under Topic 606. As of July 1, 2017, and subject to the potential effects of any new related ASUs issued by the FASB in the balance of 2017, as well as the company’s ongoing evaluation of new transactions and contracts, the company has substantially completed its evaluation of the expected impact of adopting Topic 606 and anticipates that the adoption of this standard will not have a significant impact on the company’s consolidated financial statements. The company presently expects to adopt Topic 606 at the beginning of its 2018 fiscal year using the modified retrospective approach. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The ASU is intended to represent an improvement over previous GAAP, which did not require lease assets and lease liabilities to be recognized for most leases. This ASU, which supersedes most current lease guidance, affects any entity that enters into a lease (as that term is defined in the ASU), with some specified scope exemptions. ASU No. 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years; the ASU allows for early adoption as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) – Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, which provides additional guidance on the presentation of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs in the income statement and on the components eligible for capitalization. The amendments in this ASU require that an employer report the service cost component of the net periodic benefit costs in the same income statement line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by employees during the period. The non-service-cost components of net periodic benefit costs are to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost components and outside a subtotal of income from operations. The ASU also allows for the capitalization of the service cost components, when applicable (i.e., as a cost of internally manufactured inventory or a self-constructed asset). The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods; early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual period for which financial statements (interim or annual) have not been issued or made available for issuance. The amendments in this ASU are to be applied retrospectively. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill to measure a goodwill impairment charge. Instead, entities will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value. Snap-on early adopted this ASU in the second quarter of 2017 in conjunction with its annual impairment test. The amendments in this ASU are to be applied on a prospective basis and the adoption did not have a significant impact on the company’s consolidated financial statements.

Note 1: Summary of Accounting Policies

Principles of consolidation and presentation

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Snap-on Incorporated and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries (collectively, “Snap-on” or “the company”). These financial statements should be read in conjunction with, and have been prepared in conformity with, the accounting principles reflected in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Snap-on’s 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 (“2016 year end”). The company’s 2017 fiscal second quarter ended on July 1, 2017; the 2016 fiscal second quarter ended on July 2, 2016. Each of the company’s 2017 and 2016 fiscal first and second quarters contained 13 weeks of operating results.

Snap-on accounts for investments in unconsolidated affiliates where Snap-on has a greater than 20% but less than 50% ownership interest under the equity method of accounting. Investments in unconsolidated affiliates of $17.4 million as of July 1, 2017, and $15.2 million as of December 31, 2016, are included in “Other assets” on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets; no equity investment dividends were received in any period presented. In the normal course of business, the company may purchase products or services from, or sell products and services to, unconsolidated affiliates. Purchases from unconsolidated affiliates were $2.7 million and $3.2 million in the respective fiscal second quarters of 2017 and 2016, and $5.7 million and $7.4 million in the respective first six months of 2017 and 2016. Sales to unconsolidated affiliates were $0.1 million and zero in the respective fiscal second quarters of 2017 and 2016, and $0.2 million and zero in the respective first six months of 2017 and 2016. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements do not include the accounts of the company’s independent franchisees. Snap-on’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for the fair presentation of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for the three and six month periods ended July 1, 2017, and July 2, 2016, have been made. Interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Financial Instruments

The fair value of the company’s derivative financial instruments is generally determined using quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities. The carrying value of the company’s non-derivative financial instruments either approximates fair value, due to their short-term nature, or the amount disclosed for fair value is based upon a discounted cash flow analysis or quoted market values. See Note 9 for further information on financial instruments.

New Accounting Standards

In October 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740) – Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. The ASU eliminates the requirement to defer the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for an intra-entity asset transfer until the asset has been sold to an outside party. Under the new guidance, an entity should recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual reporting period for which financial statements (interim or annual) have not been issued or made available for issuance (i.e., the first interim period if an entity issues interim financial statements). The amendments in this ASU are to be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings at the time of adoption. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), which adds and/or clarifies guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years; early adoption is permitted. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated statements of cash flows.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326), to require the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable forecasts. The main objective of this ASU is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. ASU No. 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years; the ASU allows for early adoption as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2018. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) that, together with several subsequent updates, outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. Topic 606 is based on the principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Topic 606 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to fulfill a contract.

Entities may early adopt Topic 606 only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Entities have the option of adopting this standard using either a full retrospective approach or a modified retrospective approach (i.e., through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings at the time of adoption).

Snap-on commenced its assessment of Topic 606 during the second half of 2014 and developed a comprehensive project plan that included representatives from across the company’s business segments. The project plan included analyzing the standard’s impact on the company’s various revenue streams, comparing its historical accounting policies and practices to the requirements of the new standard, and identifying potential differences from applying the requirements of the new standard to its contracts. The company is in the process of identifying and implementing appropriate changes to its business processes, systems and controls to support revenue recognition and disclosures under Topic 606.

As of July 1, 2017, and subject to the potential effects of any new related ASUs issued by the FASB in the balance of 2017, as well as the company’s ongoing evaluation of new transactions and contracts, the company has substantially completed its evaluation of the expected impact of adopting Topic 606 and anticipates that the adoption of this standard will not have a significant impact on the company’s consolidated financial statements. The company presently expects to adopt Topic 606 at the beginning of its 2018 fiscal year using the modified retrospective approach.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The ASU is intended to represent an improvement over previous GAAP, which did not require lease assets and lease liabilities to be recognized for most leases. This ASU, which supersedes most current lease guidance, affects any entity that enters into a lease (as that term is defined in the ASU), with some specified scope exemptions. ASU No. 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years; the ASU allows for early adoption as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) – Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost, which provides additional guidance on the presentation of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs in the income statement and on the components eligible for capitalization. The amendments in this ASU require that an employer report the service cost component of the net periodic benefit costs in the same income statement line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by employees during the period. The non-service-cost components of net periodic benefit costs are to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost components and outside a subtotal of income from operations. The ASU also allows for the capitalization of the service cost components, when applicable (i.e., as a cost of internally manufactured inventory or a self-constructed asset).

The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods; early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual period for which financial statements (interim or annual) have not been issued or made available for issuance. The amendments in this ASU are to be applied retrospectively. The company is currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill to measure a goodwill impairment charge. Instead, entities will record an impairment charge based on the excess of a reporting unit’s carrying amount over its fair value. Snap-on early adopted this ASU in the second quarter of 2017 in conjunction with its annual impairment test. The amendments in this ASU are to be applied on a prospective basis and the adoption did not have a significant impact on the company’s consolidated financial statements.